I Hate Lemonade

We've all heard, "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade."

Well, there's a few problems with that. First, you need sugar and water, or you have no lemonade. Second, I hate lemonade. I mean, I'll drink it if there's nothing else to drink, or to be polite to some kid selling it on the street corner, but I don't run out and buy stuff to make lemonade and keep it around. Empty calories.

Then life handed me some lemons. Not one or two, like a truck load. What now? And who wants that much lemonade anyway? At first, I threw a fit. A pure-T fit. Fell in the floor crying, yelling at God, "Why? Why me?" ...and I hate to admit it, but I did this more than once before I actually pulled myself together.

Now, I just want this truck load of lemons gone. Is this "chapter" of my life over, yet? What are you doing anyway, Lord? I pray, and I feel Him moving, but I just don't have a clue how long it will last...sometimes I just want to get off this emotional roller coaster ride!

There's two good things I can see right now: 1. I feel Him. It's sad, but some people cannot feel Him, so I am very thankful for that. 2. Because I feel Him, that means He hasn't given up on me. He's doing something in my life, and it will all come together in the end.

Today I was attempting to take a nap and I sat straight up and realized something...Even Jesus, who was absolutely perfect, wanted His trial to be over!! That one big huge thing He did for us (DYING), He was dreading and wanting it to be over! When He prayed in the garden, just before He was crucified. He prayed two prayers:

In Matthew 26:39 He said, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

Then after He found the disciples sleeping and went back to pray again He said, "O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." Matthew 26:42

So, at first He asks God to get Him out of the situation, then He realized it's inevitable, and says "thy will be done." I really don't think He's just saying "Have Your way, God." I think He's saying thy will be "done," as in "over with", "completed," "finished."

I mean, yes, He is submitting to God's will, but He is saying, "come on, God, since this has to happen, let's get it over with."

You know why I think that? Because what did He say right before He died? "It is finished."

John 19:30 says, "When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished:" and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost."

I think He was relieved that it was over. Of course He wanted to die for us, but that doesn't mean He enjoyed the process! So, I don't think it's wrong to be upset and frustrated that your trial is "taking forever." I don't think it's wrong to throw a fit and ask God to get it over with and let it be done already. But somehow, we gotta pull it together enough to submit and let Him do it.

At first, I asked Him to spare me from it all, but obviously that's not His will, so now I have to just submit and say, "thy will be done."

Whatever it is that He wants to do with this big truck load of lemons, I gotta let Him do it. ...but that doesn't mean I won't be kneeling here pleading, "LET IT BE DONE ALREADY!"

I like to think that God is making something more than lemonade out of my lemons. He's going to add in some strawberries and ice and make a yummy strawberry-lemonade smoothie! (:

Why settle for lemonade, anyway? That's average, and by now, you should know what I think about average!